THE CAT. 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



1. WHETHER it is the Cat or the Dog which is the most 

 domestic of all our domestic animals, is a question which may be 

 disputed. The greater intelligence and affection of the dog, cause 

 men generally to prefer it to its rival. As the eager partner of our 

 sports, or the faithful guardian of house or homestead, it is of 

 especial value. Yet the cat is so largely self-supporting and so 

 useful an ally against unwelcome intruders, that it is the inmate 

 of a multitude of humble homes wherein the dog has no place. 

 The cat also is favoured by that half of the human race which 

 is the more concerned with domestic cares ; for it is a home-loving 

 animal and one exceptionally clean and orderly in its habits, and 

 thus naturally commends itself to the good will of the thrifty 

 housewife. 



Moreover, -though it is generally much less demonstrative in its 

 affection than is the dog, yet cats differ as men do, and some in- 

 dividuals manifest strong feelings of regard for one or other members 

 of the family wherein they make their homes. 



Cats are even sometimes made use of to obtain food for their 

 owners, the latter availing themselves of the habit which cats have 

 of bringing home prey.* 



The Domestic Cat is an animal so common and familiar that its 

 utility is sometimes apt to be lost sight of. To realise its usefulness 

 we must imagine ourselves in a land where no such an animal is 

 known, but where the annoying creatures upon which it preys shall 

 have multiplied with that rapidity natural to them. The familiar 

 tale of Whittington may serve to illustrate what would be the effect of 

 its introduction into such a land. It has been calculated that a single 

 cat may devour twenty mice in one day ; but this of course is by 



* Tims, several rabbits will sometimes be brought home by a cat in a single day. 



B 



